Perpetrators often exploit the reactions they know children are likely to face if they tell anyone about the abuse. They draw on entrenched gender norms and social attitudes to silence children and strengthen their control. When targeting girls, they weaponize the stigma, shame and harassment that often follow disclosure, knowing girls are more likely to be blamed and judged. When targeting boys, they exploit the tendency for abuse to be minimized or dismissed, as well as expectations that boys For more details about the statistics presented in this section, view the Appendix should be strong, self-reliant and in control, making it less likely they will seek help from others. Male perpetrators may threaten to reveal or falsely imply a boy’s sexual orientation as a tool of blackmail and extortion. Across contexts, victim-blaming attitudes do not just harm children after abuse has occurred, they create the conditions that perpetrators exploit in the first place, shifting responsibility away from those who cause harm and onto children themselves. In these cases, technology is not simply a communication tool; it becomes an instrument for targeting, grooming, coercing and exploiting children. Through Children’s Eyes Who abuses children? 21